Low food self-sufficiency poses risk for ČR's stability, Agricultural Chamber says

Ceske Budejovice, Aug 31 (CTK) - The Czech Republic's self-sufficiency in food has been decreasing since 1989 and the entry in the European Union, and the situation poses a risk for the stability of the country, Agricultural Chamber president Jan Veleba said Friday at agricultural exhibition Zeme zivitelka.

Food prices are expected to rise and a number of agricultural companies are likely to end in insolvency after this year's harvest, representatives of the chamber told journalists after talks held as part of the exhibition.

The biggest drop in self-sufficiency was registered in the production of pork, poultry and eggs. Self-sufficiency in fruit, vegetables and potatoes also decreased, according to Veleba.

Poor harvest in Europe and North America is driving grain prices higher and farmers will not be able to pay for fodder as a result, Veleba said.

"Imports of meat are growing markedly owing to absence of domestic production - the number of bred pigs is the lowest since the statistics started to be monitored and we import about a half of domestic consumption - and also due to policies of retail chains which, moreover, import products from less valuable parts," Veleba told CTK.

The Czech Republic is self-sufficient in the production of beef, grain, beetroot and milk, for example. However, the situation in these commodities is not ideal as a commodity is exported and a food product made from it is imported, Veleba said.

The number of pigs is this year the same as in 1921. Pig numbers have decreased by 3.211 million since 1990, according to statistics.

"The shortage is compensated by imports which exceeded 216,000 tonnes last year. Pork worth almost Kc11bn was imported. Meat is imported above all from Germany (imports worth Kc4.9bn), Austria, Belgium, Poland and Spain," Veleba said.

Current poultry numbers correspond to the level of production in the 1960s. The biggest fall of 24 percent was last year registered for the number of chickens. Total poultry numbers decreased by 14.5 percent.

The number of hens is the lowest in history. Imports of hens rose by 16.8 percent. Hens were last year imported mainly from Poland, followed by Brazil, Slovakia and Germany.

The level of self-sufficiency in poultry dropped by 6.1 percentage points to 78.8 percent.

Imports of meat, meat products and dairy products have been growing the fastest.

In 2000, the Czech Republic imported meat and meat products worth Kc2.2bn, with imports from the EU accounting for Kc1.8bn of the amount, according to data of the Czech Statistical Office (CSU).

But in 2011 the value of imports of meat and meat products to the Czech Republic was as high as Kc22.1bn, with Kc19.8bn worth of the goods coming from the EU.

Pork meat accounted for almost half of the imports.

CR's self-sufficiency in production of main agricultural commodities in 2011
production imports exports self-sufficiency
grain thousands of tonnes 8,284.8 115 2,723 149.9
potatoes 973.9 320 153 85.4
vegetables 277.6 567 91.9 36.9
beef 92 23.3 39.5 121.7
pork 272.3 234.7 59.9 60.8
poultry 170.1 104.8 62.4 78.8
milk millions of litres 2,663.7 853 1,010 124.6
eggs millions of pieces 2,168 647 157 87.6

Source: Agricultural Chamber, Agriculture Ministry